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Poshmark. Friend or foe? Poshmark might be a little of both. I have a love-hate relationship with Poshmark. But, then I have a love-hate relationship with most social media venues.

For those of you unfamiliar with Poshmark, it is an online community where one can buy and sell fashion items. It started out as a community for women users only and now it is growing to include men’s fashion as well. According to Poshmark, the app “…connects you to people whose style you adore, allowing you to shop Closets and Boutiques, anytime you'd like. Have items in your closet that you love, but just don't wear anymore? List items for sale on Poshmark in less than 60 seconds. Sell what you have in your closet so you can shop for what you really love today. With Poshmark, the possibilities are endless!”

My Poshmark Closet

I have a friend that has been utilizing Poshmark since its inception. For years she has urged me to join the Poshmark community. This is the same friend that gave me the nickname "Gina Mama", 25 years ago. I have been listening to her advice for two and a half decades and I finally decided to give Poshmark a chance. I figured it might be a good way to destash some of my Birkenstocks.

Poshmark provided me a safe environment to sell my gently used Birkenstocks. I have sold most of my Birks for almost the amount that I paid. My Birkenstocks were purchased by others who loved this brand too. It was easy letting go of some of my Birkenstocks because I knew my shoes were getting new homes.

It is like in Toy Story 2 where all of Andy’s toys go to a new home. The toys are played with by a happy child, thereby making the toys happy too. The Birks that I bought with love and rarely wore would be cared for by another person. Making the buyer and my rarely worn Birkenstocks happy.

By destashing, I could make room to buy a few pairs of new Birks. I would use the money made from my sales on Poshmark to purchase a pair of Birkenstocks from their seasonal collection. The seasonal, limited edition offerings by Birkenstock are hard to resist for a hardcore connoisseur.

In addition to purchasing the latest and greatest models of Birkenstocks with my Poshmark earnings, I could buy used pairs too. What? Buy old, worn out Birkenstocks? You betcha!! All those models and colors that Birkenstock has discontinued were now a click away for me on Poshmark.

​Sellers on Poshmark often list used Birkenstocks for a fraction of the price of what they paid. Many sellers don’t realize that Birkenstocks are fully repairable. Aficionados, like myself, are happy to purchase what other sellers are trying to get rid of because we know that Birks can be recrafted. And, as a collector, may never have another chance of purchasing a discontinued style.

It is not only used Birkenstocks that I find on Poshmark, but also new ones. In the last 7 months I have found two brand new pairs of Birkenstocks for less than half the original price. Both of which are not currently being manufactured by Birkenstocks. I like to think of such discoveries as my diamonds in the rough. The first, was a pair of Graceful yellow Papillio Rom sandals, with diamonds on the buckles!

Papillio Rom in Graceful Yellow. A Poshmark Find!

The second pair were blue oiled leather Mayaris.

Found these Blue Oiled Leather Mayaris on Poshmark. Find of the year!

Neither had been worn by the previous owner. The footbeds were imprint free! Maybe these sellers did not want to go through the Birkenstock break-in process. Their loss is my gain!

I ended of up reselling the Rom’s on Poshmark because I could not adjust the top strap. I have a high instep and appreciate the flexibility of all my straps having buckles, not just one. But, that is an entirely different blog about the Papillio line.

One of the great things about Poshmark is that if you don’t like something, you can reposh it. There is always someone looking to buy what you have to sell. Depending on the brand or style, your item might sell quickly or it may take a few months. Either way, it will eventually sell.

One of the things that I do not like about Poshmark is that replicas make their way into the Poshmark community. You have to know what you are looking for so that you do not buy fake Birkenstocks. Recently, I have seen a number of fake "Mayaris" being sold in the marketplace.

Fake Birks on Poshmark

Fake Birks on Poshmark

As a user, I am able to report a listing as unauthentic to Poshmark and it is eventually taken down. However, I wish that Poshmark was more proactive in monitoring replicas being posted.

Sometimes I find things on Poshmark that just give me a good belly laugh. How about these Birkenstocks?

This item on Poshmark had me cracking up!

This seller claims that her mother paid a cobbler to glue an insole onto the footbed to make the Gizehs more comfortable. Guess her mother did not know that Birkenstock sells soft footbed sandals! Interestingly though, anyone looking for a red leather uppers, in a size 40, could probably make an offer get these for a steal. Of course, they would have to be recrafted.

Just as with any social media forum, Poshmark has its share of creeps and trolls. Like the creeps that track me down from my blog page and leave inappropriate comments on my listings. The good news is that Poshmark makes it easy to block such individuals.

The positive aspects of Poshmark certainly outweigh the negative. Poshmark gives me the opportunity to connect with other people who love Birkenstocks as much as I do. It also provides me the ability to market my blog for free. On Poshmark, I can locate rare styles that are not sold in the U.S or find models that have been discontinued. Best of all, I can easily sell some of my Birkenstocks that need to find a new home.

Overall, Poshmark has been a fun place to buy and sell. I am definitely selling more than I buy. Warning: If you have an addiction with shopping, Poshmark might not be for you. To join Poshmark, use the coupon code (GINAMAMABIRKS) and receive a $5 coupon off your first order.